Complete membership application on first page of association section and send dues to:

Arkansas Fur Trappers Association

P.O. Box 1681

Greenwood, AR 72936

SECRETARY/TREASURER’S REPORT

Hope everyone had a good holiday and made it thru the December ice storm OK. There’s ways to keep a line going in the rain and snow but ice is just a whole different ball game.

The Mulberry chapter had a good turnout at the Christmas party and potluck last month. Pot roast and taters, rice and venison, fried chicken, cornbread, potato salad, biscuits and dessert kept everyone well fed. Gifts were exchanged too, like knives, flashlights, ammo, traps, etc. No socks or sweaters are under the tree at a trapper Christmas party!

Results of the early FHA fur auction should be available now and results for the early NAFA auction should be available in late February. Recent forecasts are for lower prices for wild fur compared to last year. The early auctions tend to bring lower prices anyway because retail sales of fur are still occurring and buyers have yet to make definite plans for next year. By the time fur season in Arkansas is over, we should have a better idea of what to expect for prices of good, well-handled Arkansas fur.

Blake Sasse, AGFC Nongame Mammal/Furbearer Program Leader sent out an email notice earlier this month that AGFC is in the process of revising the AGFC Strategic Furbearer Management Plan. This plan provides high-level guidance on what the agency will be doing for furbearers over the next 10 years and doesn’t get into the details of specific regulations. After an initial public comment period which ended earlier this month, they will determine if any changes are needed and the plan will be submitted to the Commission at their February meeting and they will vote on it in March. There will be another opportunity for public comment after the plan is presented to the Commission in February.

You can find the draft copy of the AGFC Strategic Furbearer Management Plan on the AGFC website at http://www.agfc.com/hunting/Documents/StrategicFurbearerMgmtPlan.pdf. A clickable link can be found on the front page of the AFT website http://arkansasfurtrappers.org, under Recent Posts.

That’s all for this month, good luck to everyone on the remainder of the season. As always, feel free to call or email with questions or comments. — Mark Alexander